ABB unit unveils ‘new era of automation’

An ABB Group EV charger for electric buses is seen through a fence, at an L.A. City Transportation Department (LADOT) DASH transit bus maintenance facility in downtown Los Angeles, California, U.S., August 21, 2021. REUTERS/Bing Guan/File Photo

HANOI: ABB Group opened its mega robotics factory in Shanghai last Friday, which is expected to further enhance the Swiss tech major’s market presence in both China and the Asia-Pacific region, its senior executives say.

The US$150mil (RM658mil), 67,000-sq ft factory complex includes production and research facilities, and will use ABB’s digital and automation technologies to manufacture next-generation robots.

“The opening of our mega factory is another milestone in helping our customers grow sustainably, address labour shortages and create high-value jobs in a new era of automation,” said Sami Atiya, president of ABB’s robotics and discrete automation division.

ABB’s investment is designed for long-term growth as the market has unprecedented demand for automated solutions, said Marc Segura, president of ABB Robotics.

“In the new factory, a more advanced manufacturing process and a higher degree of automation save 50% space and boost our production capacity by 300%. This greatly expands the depth and breadth of products we can produce and enables us to better serve China and the wider Asia-Pacific market,” said Segura.

Located within the new factory, ABB’s research and development centre will create new innovations in artificial intelligence, digitalisation and software, like autonomous mobility, digital twin, machine vision and low-code programming software, to make robots more intelligent, flexible, safer and easier to use.

“Having provided products and solutions to automakers in China for many years, we see more market opportunities from other emerging sectors, like electronics, eCommerce logistics, healthcare, pharmaceutical, restaurants and service robotics,” he said.

The Zurich-headquartered group predicts that the global robot market will grow from US$80bil (RM351bil) today to US$130bil (RM570bil) in 2025. China, the world’s largest robotics market, accounted for 51% of global robot installations in 2021, surpassing one million units of operational robots. — China Daily/ANN